no title

General Assembly

Bill would allow school safety levies

The gun-control debate

President Barack Obama has called for toughening America’s gun laws to confront mass shootings and everyday gun violence, betting that public opinion has shifted enough to support the broadest push for gun control in a generation.

Your Right to Know

In between the February 2012 school shooting in Chardon and the December school shooting in
Newtown, Conn., a small school district in northern Ohio began talking about ways to improve its
security.

Board President David Rice of the Vermilion Local School District then called Sens. Randy
Gardner, R-Bowling Green, and Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, to propose a way for school
districts to set aside money for safety and security purposes.

Those ideas formed into Senate Bill 42, which is headed for a vote in the Senate.

The bill authorizes school districts to levy a tax up to 10 mills for safety and security
measures, including purchasing additional lighting, upgrading security monitoring systems and
hiring a resource officer.

“When it comes to this subject, the question is, why not do this? It could make our schools
safer and more secure,” Gardner said.

School districts currently can levy a property tax for general permanent improvements, education
technology and support for a cultural center.

Districts can use these tax revenues for security purposes, but board of education officials
could choose to implement them elsewhere.

“We’re not asking for much — just the ability to get funds for the safety and security for our
kids. We can’t rely on the government to (fund) taking care of our kids. It’s our responsibility,”
Rice said.

The bill is supported by the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, Fraternal Order of
Police of Ohio and the Ohio Education Association.

“We want our staff and students and faculty to be safe in our communities, and we know that it’s
difficult for some communities to have resource officers or to find other ways to provide safety,”
said OEA President Patricia Frost-Brooks.

But, it might not be the best tool for districts, such as those in Franklin County that are
unable to pass a levy, said Sen. Charleta B. Tavares, D-Columbus.

“We need as many tools as possible to provide a safe and nurturing environment to our students.
This is a step in the right direction,” Tavares said.

Sara Jerde is a fellow in Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse News
Bureau. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.